Safety device for safe doors



' 1,613,755 Jan. 11 1927. D. HUNTER SAFETY DEVICE FOR SAFE DOORS 2SheetsSheet 1 iled April 14, 1926 1927' D. E. HUNTER SAFETY DEVICE FORSAFEYD OORS Filed April 14. 1926 Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

' nmraosr res PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. HUNTER, OF MUSKEGON, M ICE-IIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE SHAW-WALKERCOMPANY, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SAFE DOORS;

Application filed Apri1 14, 1926. Serial No. 101,884.

This invention relates to improvement in safetydevices for safe doors,and more par-- ticularly to means for rendering the doors of safes, andlike receptacles or closures for valuables, proof against the lessviolent methods of safe-breaking employed by cracksmen.

The object of the invention is to provide a device associated with thelocking mechauism carried on the safe door, and so constructed that itwill be automatically actuated or released, in the burglars attempt toforce the combination lock, and thus prevent the door from being openedeven though the forcing of the combination lock is successfullyaccomplished.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the safety device is'notcalculated to insure protection agamst experts skilled 1n manipulatingthe combination and thus openlng the door without the use of tools, oreven the more violent method of blowing the door from its hinges byheavy charges of explosive, but rather as a protection against themethods, in which tools are used to accom' plish the result, this beingthe more common method, since it can be carried on without the sameopportunity for detection that attends the use of explosives, and doesnot require the skill which the ordinary cracksman lacks. It may beassumed therefore, that in the majority of instances, the use of toolsis resorted to, and hence the real protection of the present deviceresides in the fact that the door having failed to yield, the attemptwould be abandoned, rather than to resort to other methods owing eitherto lack of time or fear of detection.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which a typical installation is shown, itbeing understood that it is applicable to any safe, vault, cabinet orother safe-keeping receptacle. I

In the drawings:

Figure l is a general view in rear elevation of a safe door, with therear cover plates removed to show the locking mechanism.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view in ele- 1 g r thecenter locking bolt5, there being prefvation of a portion of the door adjacent the lockingmechanism. v

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the primary locking members withportion removed so that the construction can be more readily seen,

Figure 4: is a detail view in cross section taken on line 4:4: of Figure3, showing the dead bolt in looking position.

Figure 5 is a detail view in cross section through the door and lockingmechanism as taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a reproduction of Figure 4-, showing the manner in which theparts of the locking mechanism are ruptured in an attempted forcing ofthe .lock.

The door 1, is of the usual fire and theft proof construction of sheetsteel, with an inner core of fire resisting material, although it may beof solid steel and of any weight and thickness, since the invention isnot con fined to any particular safe or cabinet construction. In Figure1, only the portion of the door carrying the locking mechanism is shown,it being understood that it is hung to swing on hinges in the usualmanner and to close the'opening ofthe safe. Similarly 1n Figures 2, 5and 6, a section only of the door frame 2 along the locking edge of thedoor is shown.

Mounted on the door is the locking mechanism, secured to the backfacethereof, and

preferably covered by the inner wall or back plate 3 of the door, as isthe common practice, The locking mechanism consists of primary andsecondary groups of locking devices, the primary including those partswhich are operated by a handle 4, to throw the locking bolts 5, and thesecondary group consisting of the combination lock casing 6, and thedial 7 onthe outside of the door, which control the primary lockingmembers.

Referring to the primary locking mechanism the handle 4 thereof extendsthrough the door about midway the height and near the vertical lockingedge of the door in the form of a stem 4. Fir-zed to the inner end ofthe stem P is a rocker lever 8, which rotates with 'thestem. This rockerlever is gcnerallyT-sha md, with arms 8 and 8 extending vertically inopposite directions, and a somewhat broader arm or plate 9 extendinglaterally and toward the combination lock casing 6. Pivotally connectedwith the downwardly extending arm 8 is erably three bolts operatingconjunctively' and lower bolts 5. This plate has a triangular shapedbody portion lying immediately behind this rocker lever, but has noconnection with the operating handle a or its stem 4, in fact it has acircular portion removed along its forward edge, and adjacent the stem4e so that it can be shifted without interfere ce with the handle stem.This cutout portion indicated at is clearly shown in Figure 23. Theupper end of the triangular body plate 10, connected with the arm 8 ofthe rocker lever by means of a pin and slot connection, a pin 12 beingcarried by the lever arm, and a slot 10" being formed in the plate. Alsoconnected with the upper arm 8 of the rocker levn 8, is a bar 13, havinga slot 13 formed at its lower end which also engages the pin 12. Thisbar 13, is pivoted to the door midway of its ends at 14, and at itsupper end has pivoted con nection with the upper sliding bolt 5. i l);-tending downwardly from the body of the plate 10 is an integral arm 15,connected at its lower end with the lower bolt 5, and pivotedintermediate its ends at 16, to the door. The action of the primarylocking medium is clearly shown in Figure 2. By rotating the handle 4 ina clock-wise direction, (facing the rear of the door) the rocker lever 8is turned through a small angle, throwing the upperarm 8 in a forwardlydirection (toward the edge of the door) and the lower arm in theopposite direction carrying with it the center bolt 5. This movementmanifestly withdraws the bolt from locking engagement with its recess orlooking dete nt 2 in the door frame. Ac companying this rocking motionof the lever B, there is a lateral shi ing movement of the plate 10, itscenter of rotation being the pivot 16, centrally of the downwardextending arm 15 thereof. This shifting movement is transmitted throughthe pin and slot connection of the end of the arm 8" of the rocker lever8, which throws the plate bodily for vard, and the lower end of the arm15 in the opposite direction, thus shifting the lower bolt 5,simultaneously with and in the same direction as the center bolt 5.

Similarly the bar 13, is shifted with the turning of the handle, throughits pin and slot connection with the rocker lever to withdraw the upperbolt 5 from locking po ition. in this way the three locking bolts areshifted in unison into and out of locl'- ing position.

Considering now the laterally extending plate 9, of the rocker lever 8,the same manifestly swings with the rocker lever, and as clearly shownin Figure 2 moves in a general-vertical direction adjacentthe side ofthe lock casing 6, and in close HOXllUitY thereto. The outer edge ofplate 9 is bent rearwardly at right angles to form a flange 9 facing thelock casing. In this flange is formed a locking slot 17, so positionedas to register with and receive a bolt 18, extending from the lockcasing 6, and shiftable endwise by the mechanism within said casing.

As is common in combination locks, the bolt is shiftable in eitherdirection only when the locking mechanism is properly, set by thesetting of the dial in accordance with the combination, and thereforewhen the safe door is closed and the bolt thrown into locking positionby the handle, the locking slot 1'? in the plate is brought intoposition to receive the bolt 18 of the combination lock, this being doneby turning the dial 7 when the combination set to open, whereuponfurther turninqsets the locking mechanism so that the bolt cannotbewithdrawn without manipulating the dial in accordance with thecombination.

For the most part the m chanisms described np to this point are incommon practice in the construction of the safe doors, and hence whatfollows constitutes the improvement in the art.

At this point it will be well to refer to Figures 5 and 6, and note whatwould take place in an attempt to force the look by well known methods.Figure 5 shows the door locked and the combination lock thrown off.Figure 6 shows the manner in which a cracksman would attack the locked Vsafe. Being familiar with the mechanism, and the location of the parts,he would first drill a hole 11 through the door opposite the bolt 18, ofthe combination lock. Having done so he would then insert a drift pin Pinto the hole and with a hammer would drive the plate 9 rearwardly withforce sul'licient to tear the lock casing from the door, and release thebolt 18, from the plate 9, of the primary locking mechanism. This havingbeen accomplished the door could ie readily opened by turning the handlelff the door is made of steel which can not be drilled, the dial 7,would be broken oil, with a heavy blow of the hammer and using the driftpin against the stem 7, the entire lock casing would be torn loose anddriven rearwardly, thus releasing the bolt 18 from the locking slot inthe plate 9, as before.

lVith these illustrations the function of the safety device will be morereadily understood. Supported on the rear face of the plate 9, of therocker lever S, is a bracket 19, located, just to the left of the stem lthis bracket consisting of a piece of sheet metal bent into U shape,with its open side facing toward the combination lock casing 6. Mountedwithin the bracket is a dead bolt 20, consisting of a steel pin,extending 21 through the plate. The pin is normally held againstmovement by a trigger 22 presently to be described. Acting on the'boltis a coil tension spring 23 surrounding the shank of the bolt behind itshead, and adapted to throw the bolt forward at the instant it isreleased by the trigger 22. This trigger consists of a piece of sieetmetal bent to form a strip 22 extending obliquely from the head of thebolt in a rearward and lateral direction, to a point behind the lockcasing 6. On either side of the strip 22 are integral fins 22 triangularin shape which are attached to the bracket 19 at their apexes by acotter pin 2%, so that the trigger is pivotally connected to thebracket. The forward end of the strip 22 'ermiuates in a tongue 22 whichengages a notch in the side of the head of the bolt 20, thus retainingit in non-operative position.

Referring again to Figure 6, let it be assumed that the cracksmanperforms the same operations as before described. Now it will be seenthat as the plate 9 is driven rearwardly, the edge of the flange 9thereof, strikes the trigger, rotating it about its pivot point, andwithdrawing the tongue 22 from the bolt, which is instantly released andthrown forward into. the circular cut-out portion 10 in the plate 10,and near its inner edge. Thus, in spite of the fact that the lock casingis broken away and its bolt 18 freed from the locking slot in the plate9, the handle 4, will not turn, for the reason that the plate 10 cannotbe shifted, and hence the bolt 5 cannot be withdrawn. In short the veryact of rupturing the lock casing, releases the dead bolt and effectuallyprevents the primary locking "mechanism from functioning.

in order that the plate 9 will bend or flex along a predetermined line,to actuate the trigger as described, the plate is weakened along atransverse line, between the end flange 9 and the bolt 20, by forming aslot in the plate (Figure To prevent the cracksman from forcing the deadbolt out of locking position, assuming he is aware what has preventedhis unsuccessful entry, a drill proof plate 26 may be applied in frontthe head of the bolt, so a hole cannot be drilled through and the boltpushed back.

it may be assumed that once the dead bolt is released the door mustremain locked until the bolt can be withdrawn. This may require sometime and effort, but this would manifestly be warranted so long as theattempted burglary has been thwarted and the contents of the safepreserved.

The advantage of the safety device aside fr in its certainty of actionand protection afforded in its use, is its simplicity and readyadaptability to all classes of safes, vaults and safe-keepingreceptacles, which makes increased protection possible with but I littleadded cost.

As already intimated, the arrangement of,

reason I do not wish to be limited in the use and application except inso far as specified in the appended claims.

1 claim as my invention: 1. In a safe keeping receptacle, thecombination of a closure, primary locking mechanism for said closurecomprising a shiftable bolt and a manually operative lever connectedwith said bolt, secondary locking niechanismhaving a bolt adapted to bethrown into locking engagement With said lever, 'an auxiliaryspring-actuated bolt mounted on said lever, and a trigger normallyholding said auxiliary bolt in nonlocking position and adapted to beactuated to release said bolt when said lever is deflected from aposition of locking engagement with said bolt of the secondary lockingmechanism.

2. In a safe keeping receptacle, the combination of a closure, primarylocking mechanism for said closure comprising a bolt and a manuallyrotative lever operatively connected with said bolt, secondary lockingmechanism including a lock casing and a bolt shiftable into and out ofthe path of said lever, a spring-actuated dead bolt carried by saidlever, and a trigger normally holding said dead bolt in non-lockingposition and having a portion extending adjacent said lock casing, andthe portion of said lever engaged by the bolt of said secondary lockingmechanism, whereby said trigger is actuated to release said dead bolt tolock said primary locking mechanism upon the disruption of said lockcasing or the deflection of said lever from a position to be engagedby-said secondary locking bolt.

8. In a safe keeping receptacle, the combination with manually operatedlocking mechanism for the closure thereof comprising an external handle,an internal rocker lever and locking bolts operatively connected withsaid rocker lever, of secondary looking mechanism comprising acombination lock casing having a shiftable bolt adapted to be shiftedinto and out of the path of said lever, a spring actuated bolt carriedby said lever, and a trigger normally holding said-bolt in retractedposition, and adapted to be tripped by the forcible deflection of saidlever to release said bolt to lock said lever against movement.

4. In a safe keeping receptacle, the combination with manually operatedlocking mechanism for the closure thereof comprising an external handle,an internal rocker lever and locking bolts operatively connected withsaid rocker lever, of secondary locking mechanism comprising acombination lock casing having a shiftable bolt, adapted for lockingengagement with an arm of said lever, a spring-actuated bolt mounted onsaid lever, a. trigger normally retaining sald bolt out of lockingposition and having a finger extending adjacent said combination lockcasing and said arm, whereby said trigger is actuated to release saidspring-actuated bolt When said arm is forcibly deflected from lockingengagement with the bolt of said combination lock.

5. In a safe keeping receptacle, the combination of a closure, primarylocking mechanism for said closure comprising a bolt and a manuallyrotative lever operatively conuected with said bolt and having slottedend portion, secondary locking mechanism comprising a bolt adapted to beshifted into and out of locking engagement with a free end portion ofsaid lever, a spring-actuated dead bolt mounted on said lever adjacentits free end portion, a trigger mounted on said lever and normallyretaining said dead bolt in non-operative position, said trigger havinga portion lying adjacent the slotted end portion of said lever andadapted to be actuated to release said dead bolt to lock said primarylocking mechanism upon the deflection of the free end portion of saidlever from its locking position with the secondary locking bolt, andmeans insuring the deflection of said free end portion of said lever toactuate said trigger.

Signed at Muskegon, Mich, this 30th day of March, 1926.

DAVID E. HUNTER.

